The invention relates to a golf training aid, specifically a golf aid that provides one degree of freedom whereby the swing plane and pitch of the club is well defined.
The prior art has numerous golf training type instruction and exercising machines that are adapted to train a golf student; however, the prior art is primarily geared towards providing golf swing training apparati that control the path of the swing at a certain portion of the club; in other words, many of the prior art devices are adapted to have some form of a track where a golf club, or representation of a golf club is attached thereto and the club moves along such a track. The numerous prior art references disclose a variety of mechanisms to provide such a track for a swing, however, the prior art has failed to restrict the degrees of freedom of a golf swing properly so a student of golf, particularly a newer student can get the feel of a proper golf swing. For example, the swing plane of a golf swing is critical to having a proper contact on a ball. Further the pitch of the golf club is an element of a golf swing that is desirable to train with a golf student. Further, in one form, the roll of the club (the rotation about the shaft of the club) can be controlled where the golf training apparatus as described herein allows for one degree of freedom of motion. Of course in other forms additional degrees of freedom are provided depending upon the goals and desires of the golf student.
When a golf student is trained by an instructor, oftentimes instructor would like to observe the bio-kinematic movements of the golf student in the course of a swing. For example, it is normally desirable to have the head of the golf student relatively stationary in the course of a swing and employ the hips to obtain the maximum power and accuracy. Further, various instructors would like to observe the wrist and bending of the arms in the course of a swing. Also, the follow-through of the swing as well as other elements such as foot placement knee bend and any desirable or potentially undesirable movements must be observed by the golf trainer. Therefore, it is advantageous to provide a golf training apparatus that provides a consistent swing where the movement of the golf club like handle (which can be the portion of an actual golf club in one form) is restricted and the trainer can focus upon the bio-kinematic movements of the golf student.
In one form, the golf club like handle as one degree of freedom whereby the swing plane, pitch and roll of the club is controlled. In engineering vernacular, one degree of freedom is defined as one possible orientation of the golf club like handle at a particular position along the golf swing. In general, the golf swing is defined at various positions corresponding to the numerals of a clock. Of course the numerals do not line up exactly to the various positions but generally speaking a six o'clock position is the approximate location of a golf club to impact the golf ball at the bottom dead center location. Of course various golf pro trainers and theories teach different locations of impact for the club head to the golf ball and further teach different areas of placement of the golf ball with respect to the stance of the golf student to adjust such impact. But generally speaking the bottom dead center approximate location of the golf club is the position of the golf swing where impact upon the golf ball occurs. A nine o'clock position is the rearward backstroke position and the three o'clock position is the follow-through portion of stroke. Therefore, in one form where the golf training apparatus has employed one degree of freedom for the golf swing, at any position along the golf swing, the club has only one orientation and space. This restriction gives a golf trainer confidence that his or her student has the correct positioning of the golf club like handle and the trainer can focus upon the golf student's bio-kinematic movements.
Of course in other forms, the roll of the club can be an additional degree of freedom. Further, there are various types of linkages that can control the roll or give partial control of the roll such as using a cam system as shown in a second embodiment.
Therefore, it can be appreciated that a golf training apparatus that not only controls the swing plane of the golf club, but further controls the pitch of the golf club and in one form has a mechanism to convert the rearward pitch to a forward pitch at the approximate six o'clock position. Further, the system provides for controlling the swing plane of the golf club like handle which in one form can remain in a planar region or alternatively in a curved plane region whereby the first and second rails are not in a single plane but extended therefrom the plane as desired to train for a proper swing.
Further, it is found to be desirable to have an adjustable system in one form of the apparatus that adjusts the height and angle of the rail system that defines the path of the carriage assembly which is connected to the golf club like handle.
In addition to having training benefits of a trainers perspective where the trainer can observe the bio kinetic movements of the golf student and have confidence that the path of the club is proper, the student gains muscle memory of a proper swing. In other words the trainer can focus on the movements of the golf student such as hip movement and head location.
Further, because many of the degrees of freedom of the golf club is controlled (only having one degree of freedom of movement in one embodiment), the flight of the ball is consistent and thus enhances the student's confidence of the golf swing techniques that are not always intuitive to a beginning student.